Leaders at several well-known British companies have spoken to journalists about the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, pointing to lower tariffs, cross-sector investment running into tens of millions of pounds, and a general strengthening of trade between the two countries as evidence of the deal's early impact.

Speaking on the margins of the UK–India CETA Marketplace First Business Activation event in Mumbai, David Wright — General Manager for India at British Airways — said the trade agreement had moved out of the policy-drafting stage and into a phase where companies on both sides are expected to drive its practical delivery, adding that responsibility for turning the accord into tangible cross-border commerce now rests with the business community. Wright said British Airways takes considerable satisfaction in contributing to that effort.

Wright outlined how British Airways had expanded the number of seats available on routes between India and the United Kingdom over the preceding twelve months, pointing to passenger demand buoyed by momentum from the trade agreement as the force behind that growth. In Wright's view, air transport functions as an enabler of that expanding trade rather than a driver of it in its own right. Wright went on to describe the airline's position in India as one of active growth, noting that British Airways intended to remain a contributor to the expanding bilateral trade relationship. Direct services into India expanded by 25 percent over the preceding twelve months, according to the company's figures.

Turning to the prospect of serving newly built greenfield airports such as Noida International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, Wright described India's aviation sector as a place of considerable activity and opportunity, while also noting that the free trade agreement had provided meaningful momentum for growth, with further discussions expected as circumstances evolve.

Carbon Clean's Chief Financial Officer, Guy Mansfield, described India as the most active market his company is currently tracking, adding that conversations around opportunities there would continue, while also noting that CETA's tariff reductions and trade-promotion provisions stand to benefit Carbon Clean given its presence across both Canada and the United Kingdom. The organisation described its position as spanning both the UK and India sides of the arrangement. The company's innovation centre operates out of Mumbai, serving as its India base, while carbon capture equipment of the type deployed domestically already has its manufacturing base within the United Kingdom.

The tariff reductions and accompanying push to expand trade have drawn broad support from proponents of open commerce. Mansfield described the team's outlook as one of strong enthusiasm.

Turning to the worldwide push for carbon management, Mansfield outlined the company's concentration on heavy industries operating in India, with a spokesperson noting that the organisation stood at the threshold of an expansive growth phase, pointing to a range of opportunities in carbon capture as industries across sectors work toward net-zero targets. Interest in carbon capture technology has grown across the industry, with more organisations exploring its potential applications. Mansfield noted that the initiative directs attention toward Indian industries where cutting emissions poses the greatest difficulty, including steel and fertiliser production.

Mansfield put forward an estimate that CETA's market-based provisions could drive bilateral trade volumes to the range of tens of millions of US dollars, a trajectory he also linked to the rationale for deepening capital commitments within the company's Indian research and development operations, adding that favourable outcomes could push export and import activity to around 55 million pounds. Mansfield noted that spending on the innovation centre had already climbed into the tens of millions of US dollars, with returns anticipated in the near term, and that further capital would be directed toward the facility as the business continues to expand.

Bentley Motors board member Axel Dewitz described the deal as an avenue for expansion in the luxury automotive sector, pointing to recent structural changes within India as a supporting factor, and added that the arrangement held promise both for Bentley's position in the market and for the UK's broader interests. The company's ownership structure in India underwent reorganisation over the preceding months, a process carried out alongside investors the firm holds in high regard. Backing from investors spans three cities — a base in Delhi, a presence in Mumbai, and a foothold in Bangalore.

Dewitz expressed an intention to use those investor relationships as a platform for expanding the brand's reach, pointing to the free trade agreement that took effect in July as a key driver of that ambition. Dewitz told those gathered that the automaker's product roadmap and ongoing investments point to a lasting presence in the market. Analysts generally advise that breaking into that market takes a timeline spanning years rather than a matter of months. Projections point to an expansion that stands to distribute gains across all parties involved. Funding directed toward expanding the product portfolio has been placed at the forefront of the organisation's priorities.

The automaker noted that its lineup spans conventional combustion-engine vehicles and plug-in hybrid options, alongside a newly unveiled battery electric model that does not yet draw full advantage from the free trade agreement's provisions — a point raised as India and the United Kingdom formalised plans under their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement to exchange yearly data on how tariff concessions are being used, aiming to ease implementation and extend the pact's reach to smaller businesses.

At the 16th gathering of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee — known as JETCO — convened in New Delhi, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal sat across from UK Business, Innovation and Science Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to assess how the agreement had fared in the period following its entry into force on 15 July 2026.